FURNITURE WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 15, 17 January 1918, Page 8

FURNITURE WORKERS

CLAIMS FOR NEW AWARD

The Wellington United Furniture Trade Union has iiled claims for a new award. The principal items are as follow': —

Hours: 44 per week, except for fur niture packers in establishments regu lated by the Shops and Offices Act.

Wages : Journeymen cabinetmakers, upholsterers,, chair and' frame-makers, bil-. Hard table fitters, machinists, woodcarvers, turners, polishers, pictureframers, wire mattress-makers, and spring makers, £3 17s'per week. Labouveis employed at timberyards, furniture packing, tailing out at machines, or other unskilled work, £3 6s per week. AlO per cent increase on the above rates shall' be paid to all employees who may be engaged on:—(1) Hipping out secondhand upholstered work; (2) re-making bedding or other upholstered work withsecond hand materials; (3) washing off furniture with.! corrosive materials; (4) re-making secondhand wire mattresses. Upholsterers' work shall include all kinds of bedding, planning and laying of carpets and linoleums, and cutting loo6e covers and drapings. Cabinetmakers' work shall include the fitting up of imported furniture.

Overtime and holidays: Overtime for work done before the hour of commencing work or after the ordinary hour for ceasing work shall be paid for as follows :—2s 6d psr hour for first two hours and 3s 6d Tier hour' thereafter. For work done on Sundays, the weekly half-holiday, „ and statutory holidays double time shall be paid. Ko overtime shall be paid/ until 44 hours have been worked in the week, provided that time lost in any week is lest by 1 the workers' own default.

Apprentices: The term of apprenticeship is fixed at five yeai's with wages commencing at 12s 6d per week and rising to £2.' For picture frame-makers, wiremattress makers, p.nß sprin-makers the apprenticeship shall be for three years with wages commencing at 22s 6d per week and rising to £2. Where practicable ,within the scope of the award, it «hall be compulsory upon the employers to allow apprentices two half-days of labour per week in the first three years of their apprenticeship to attend technical schools for instruction, and it shall be obligatory upon an apprentice to attend such schools for instruction, according to the times arranged.

There are other clauses providing for preference, wider-rate workers, casual labour for certain purposes, travelling time, etc, ,

The case will be considered by the Conciliation Council on 7th February.'. Assessors nominated'by the* union are: Messrs. Alexander Eickhoff (Christchurch), William Manson (Auckland), and W. S. Pattison (Dutiedin).